The original site of St Columba’s 6th-century monastery

St Augustine’s Church is a Gothic-styled church built in 1872 and is locally known as ‘The wee church on the walls’. This historic area is believed to be the original site of the first monastery in Derry founded by St Columba in 546 AD. The site would have originally been surrounded by a circular Cashel which constricted it from expanding. As the monastery grew in size a new church was established close by called Temple Mor where The Long Tower Church is now located. In 1613, the wee church was known as ‘The Church of God in the Cittie of Derry’ and was used by the first plantation settlers from England & Scotland. In 1689, during the Siege of Derry, a cannonball was fired into its graveyard. These contained the terms of surrender which were infamously rejected. Its graveyard is worth exploring as it contains many famous and interesting graves.